


the texas case

by bluebeholder



Series: the accidental epic [6]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Misuse of No-Maj Artifacts, Original Character(s), Texas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 09:30:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10964466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebeholder/pseuds/bluebeholder
Summary: Percival Graves has been Director of Magical Security for exactly five minutes when a band of Texan wizards attempts to secede from the Union. This is not how he expected his first day on the job to go.And he certainly didn't see the cannons coming.(Can be read as a standalone story.)





	the texas case

**Author's Note:**

> Crimson_Voltaire is off giving me prompts again. This is related to the offhand mention that Texas wizards are troublemakers in Chapter 22 of "a better mirror". Enjoy the loose cannon Texas wizards, friends. <3

“I’ve been Director of Magical Security and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for _five damn minutes_ ,” Graves says, staring at President Picquery across the table. “You took the Oath of Office _two days ago_. And we already have people trying to secede?”

She shrugs. “I suppose so.”

Graves sighs. “And I suppose it’s now my job to deal with it.”

The President smiles. “I hope you regret all those times you gave me hell about my job.”

“I already do,” Graves says ruefully, and makes his exit.

Three hours later, after making his way by Floo and Apparition out to the middle of Texas, Graves is fairly sure that, if given the opportunity, he’d straight-up quit. He and seven other Aurors are laying on a ridge overlooking a ranch house, trying to stay out of sight. 

“I see cannons,” Alvarez says, peering past a rock. Rosa Alvarez is one of the locals, a San Antonio native of Mexican descent, and head of the San Antonio branch office. Graves didn’t meet her until an hour ago, but he’s already decided that he likes the level-headed woman. “Merlin’s tangled beard, what the hell are people getting up to out here?” 

Alec shades his eyes with his hand. “Those are _old_ ,” he says. “Look like artifacts from the Civil War, at least. Solid shot, I’d guess…why would they enchant something that old?” Alec used to be in the Misuse of No-Maj Artifacts office, specializing in weaponry. Picquery had coopted him last year because they needed Aurors capable of understanding No-Maj weapons, since incidents involving such artifacts are on the rise. This means he’s a Junior Auror, though he’s older than Graves.

Winfrith, only twenty-two years old and the other Junior Auror on this case, says timidly, “The report said the cannons were initially enchanted because they were trying to prevent livestock thieves from coming onto their ranch.”

Graves leans next to Alvarez, observing the scene below. The house is more of a compound—there’s a wall ringing the immediate grounds, barbed wire beyond that, and not much else. Cannon emplacements sit on either end of the compound, unmoving. Only two of those—that’s good. There are people milling about, but he can’t get an accurate count. “I don’t think they’re trying to keep out livestock thieves,” Graves mutters. 

“They’re trying to keep us out,” Clayton drawls. He’s another of the San Antonio Aurors, the kind of man who carries his wand in a hip holster like a No-Maj might carry a gun. “Pay attention to where the walls are, kid. Ain’t nothing inside those walls but people. And ain’t nobody out here gonna take a shot at that place ’cept for us.”

“Oh,” Winfrith says, looking down, visibly embarrassed at her inattention to detail. 

“It’s misuse of No-Maj artifacts, obstruction of justice, transportation of controlled substances, treason…” Mae ticks off charges on her fingers. She’s new to the Auror office, but not to MACUSA—until recently, she’d been working in Legal. 

Graves holds up a hand. “We don’t know for certain that there’s anything illegal down there,” he cautions. “The only thing we know is that they declared intent to secede. Which is why we’re here.”

This is the sixth time in two years that various groups of Texan wizards have tried to unceremoniously exit the Union. It’s amazing to Graves that they _still_ haven’t put Department of Magical Law Enforcement branch offices in any cities other than San Antonio. This state is too damn big for one office to manage alone. He’ll get on that, once they’re done dealing with this group.

He sends Katie and Jack around the back of the compound, picking their way carefully to a vantage where they can see anyone who tries to get out the back way. Graves has worked with both of them before and more than trusts in their competence. Neither has a particularly remarkable talent, but Jack has a level head and Katie is fast on her feet.

It is a little odd, directing them now. He’s led missions before, of course, but there’s something different about this one because he’s the Director of Magical Security. It’s not unheard-of for people in his position to personally oversee operations, but Graves has already decided that he’ll personally take part in everything that he can. 

Which is how he ends up walking straight up to the front gate, Clayton at his right hand and a nervous Winfrith at his left. The reason she’s here is that she’s pretty competent at handling enchanted objects. All Aurors have to be, but according to Winfrith’s mentor she has the potential to be a prodigy. Graves has a personal investment in seeing what his Aurors can do in combat, young or not, because the only way to judge what someone is capable of is to see them under fire. Therefore, Winfrith is right in the front. Even so, he’s fairly sure that, given the reasons that Picquery appointed him to the position, that she’s the safest of everyone involved here.

Mae, Alec, and Alvarez are in reserve, still taking cover on the ridge. If it comes to a fight, then they’ll Apparate down and join in. Graves would like to hope that they can resolve this peacefully, but he was in Houston during the last secession attempt. Those cannons are definitely going to go off.

There’s a commotion behind the gate as the three Aurors approach. People yelling and running, not quite a panic but very nearly. “Almost like they didn’t really expect us to show,” Clayton drawls.

Graves is about to respond when he sees motion out of the corner of his eye. One of the cannons has levitated and is _turning_ —he doesn’t wait for it to fire. He seizes Winfrith by the arm and Clayton by the shoulder and turns on the spot, Apparating them thirty feet forward past the walls into the compound. No Anti-Disapparition Jinxes, then. Idiots. Hopefully, they won’t fire those cannons into their own people. 

People are yelling and Graves lets go of his Aurors in favor of immediately turning and throwing a Shield Charm in the general direction of a wizard who’d kept his head and sent off a Stunning Spell. Clayton is unfazed by the sudden jump—he’s hurled a Biting Jinx at one of the witches before Graves even gets off the Shield Charm. Winfrith staggers for a second, but recovers fast and plants herself firmly as she pitches out a Trip Jinx at the same wizard who’d tried to Stun them. 

Three earsplitting cracks ring out as the reserve Aurors Apparate into the fight. There might be nearly twenty opposing wizards on the ground here, but with six Aurors at his back Graves feels confident that the odds are on their side. There’s an explosion inside the ranch house, which means Katie and Jack are blasting their way through. All they have to do is scare these wizards enough that they surrender, which shouldn’t be too hard. 

For a second, it almost looks like that will happen.

Then one of the cannons goes off.

Graves has a split second to react, tackling Alec out of the way, as a cannonball larger than his head blasts through the air. He hears screaming behind him as the massive projectile hurtle through the crowd and turns to see people scattered, at least one man hit. The cannonball leaves a crater where it hits the ground and ricochets into the wall of the main house, smashing through. 

“Why are they using _siege weapons_?” Alec wails as he scrambles to his feet. 

“No time!” Graves snaps. The cannons must simply be enchanted to fire at intruders—they can use that. He turns to the other Aurors, throwing a thoughtless spell that sends a wizard flying into a wall across the compound. “Pin them down! Winfrith, Mae, with me!” 

The two Aurors break away from the others, sprinting to Graves’ side. Clayton slides right into the lead, directing Alec and Alvarez into holding off the bulk of the spells. Not all of the wizards are particularly competent—they have a limited arsenal and aren’t very fast. It isn’t hard for three trained, skilled Aurors to manage most of the fighting, especially when several broke off to fight Katie and Jack in the house. 

And then the other cannon goes off. It’s not aimed at Graves this time and he watches as it swivels to take aim at the heaviest part of the fighting. Alvarez sees it and he hears her shout, “ _Incoming_!” People scatter, just ahead of the cannon’s firing. It’s absolute chaos. No one is paying attention to Graves, which is ideal.

“Let’s see if I’m right,” Graves mutters. He glances at Mae and Winfrith. “Get over to the house and stay out of sight.”

“Yes, sir!” Mae says, and pulls Winfrith away at top speed. No questions: perfect.

Graves turns and takes aim at an empty patch of ground. “ _Bombarda Maxima_!”

The blast shakes the entire compound. No one is hit, but both cannons immediately swivel to point right at him. Graves bolts away from the cannons’ aim, toward Mae and Winfrith. Perfect. The enchantments aren’t targeting intruders: they’re targeting the most significant source of violent magic on the field. Indiscriminate—and one that will make Graves’ job a lot easier. 

“We need to draw fire toward the house,” he says, pointing back toward the cannons as he ducks into cover beside Mae and Winfrith. “Pull their attention, encourage a quick surrender.”

Mae nods sharply. She saw it, too. “It’s risky,” she says. “Are you thinking we should just attack the house head-on?”

“Sir?” Winfrith says softly. “I think I have a better idea.” 

“Make it quick.”

“I can direct them to attack the house,” Winfrith says, “without us needing to do anything.”

Graves narrows his eyes. That is a better idea. Assuming… “You’re sure you can do that?”

“That’s why you brought me along, right?” Winfrith looks up at the cannons. “I can do it.”

“Keep ours away from the house,” Graves says to Mae, holding out a hand to Winfrith. “With me—let’s get to the cannons.”

Mae doesn’t look back as she charges out of hiding, hurling hexes and jinxes almost indiscriminately as she joins the melee beside the other Aurors. Winfrith seizes hold of Graves’ hand and he Apparates them straight up beside the first cannon. She scowls at it and waves her wand in a complicated pattern, muttering an incantation. Nothing happens. 

“Faster,” Graves says tightly. No one’s noticed them yet, but—

“It takes more than one spell,” Winfrith snaps at him. 

She casts a second spell, this time getting a golden shimmer over the whole cannon. And then they’re both nearly knocked off the emplacement when the cannon fires at Clayton, who’s just nailed three different wizards with a chain of Incarcerous spells. 

Winfrith whips her wand in wide arc. “Oppugno!” With a grating sound, the cannon turns and fires directly at the house. The ball smashes in through a wall and there’s yelling from inside.

And that’s it for stealth. No more hiding: several wizards—who clearly can’t Apparate—take off running, climbing up the wall toward Graves and Winfrith. She doesn’t waste time: she grabs hold of him and he wrenches them all the way across the compound to the second cannon emplacement. 

“Three spells?” Graves asks, watching wizards come in from two sides. One of them up this emplacement, two more across the wall from where they’d been. 

“Yes,” Winfrith says, crouching next to the cannon. 

“Do it quick,” Graves says, and throws out his wandless hand at the wizard coming up the emplacement. “Everte Statum!” 

The wizard goes flying. Graves doesn’t even look, already heading out across the wall toward the other two. Best to take care of this quickly. The wall—a rampart of wood and earth, simple but effective—is just wide enough for two wizards abreast. The other wizards are both ready to fight and, when he throws a simple Disarming Charm to test their defenses, have Shield Charms up well in time. So a little higher-caliber than the mob on the ground.

Graves stops with a fair distance between himself and Winfrith, keeping them away from him. He doesn’t plan on giving any ground, but best to be prepared. The wizards both stop a mere ten feet forward. Graves doesn’t wait for them to attack first. “Confringo!”

One of the wizards drops prone to avoid the roar of flames; the other stumbles back, frantically casting a Flame-Freezing Charm. Graves presses his advantage: while the wizard is on the ground, he slams the man with a Stinging Hex that leaves him howling and clutching at his face. 

And then, before he can get off a spell at the other wizard, there’s a creaking groan behind him.

“ _Look out_!” Winfrith screams. 

Graves hits the ground.

There’s an explosion from behind and a massive cannonball thunders overhead.

“ _Winfrith_!” Graves yells over his shoulder, scrambling to his feet.

“I’m going as fast as I can!” 

Graves returns his attention to the final wizard standing. “Finite Incantatem!” the man says, pointing his wand at his friend. The swelling immediately starts to go down and the downed wizard is able to go for his wand. Spectacular. 

But the time taken for the counterspell has left them both vulnerable. “Defodio!” Graves snarls, aiming at the still-standing wizard’s leg. The spell is normally one used to gouge into stone, for construction purposes, but Graves is a firm believer in creative use of spells. And a human body is much more fragile than stone. 

The wizard topples over with a scream, clutching at his bleeding leg. The other wizard is only just rolling to his feet, and Graves hits him square between the eyes with a Stunning Spell before he can even lift his wand. He turns around and sees Winfrith backing away from the cannon, which has revolved to point directly at the house.

The fray is dying out. Four Aurors were more than a match for the wizards on the ground, Katie and Jack are herding the wizards from inside out into the main yard of the compound, and Graves and Winfrith have taken care of the cannons. When they’re sure that they don’t need the artillery anymore, they cast Finite Incantatem on both of the cannons and come down from the wall. 

All of the wizards—who are, in large part, intact—get hauled back to San Antonio for lockup until they can be transferred to New York for legal proceedings. The injured parties, people hit by cannonballs or the man Graves hit with the Gouging Spell, receive medical attention.

The debrief with the San Antonio Aurors is surprisingly pleasant. Clayton and Alvarez must have told their comrades about the mission, because all of them are receptive to listening to a New Yorker talk to them about security policy. Graves outlines a new mandate—specific attention toward secessionist movements in the state—and assures them that he’ll be directing more MACUSA resources their way.

“You need more people than you’ve got,” he says. “We have five times as many Aurors in New York City alone, and it’s smaller than just San Antonio, let alone the rest of the state. I want to expand the branch office here and establish other offices in other cities.”

“We’d be the only state with more than one branch office,” Alvarez objects.

Graves glances at the cannon being hauled into the main hall of the office and winces. “I think you’re the only state that _needs_ more than one. Rest assured that I’ll be requesting your assistance at every step and will ensure that Texas Aurors are placed in charge of the offices.”

“Anyone else, that might sound like a line,” Clayton says. “You…not so much.”

They shake hands all around as Graves and the New York team depart. “I look forward to working with you further, Director,” Alvarez says. 

“And I you,” Graves says with a nod. She’s a good Auror. He’d like to get her to New York, scandalize the hell out of the bureaucracy. He gets the feeling that if he offered she might just hex him.

“Good luck with your new appointment,” Alvarez says. She winks. “Hope tomorrow isn’t as crazy as today has been.”

Graves cracks a smile as he steps toward the fireplace to Floo back to New York. “The well-wishes are appreciated,” he says. “I think I’ll probably need them.”

Once back in the Woolworth Building, Graves debriefs the remaining Aurors. He makes sure to commend them on a job well done, and reminds them that he needs their reports immediately. He pulls Winfrith aside, once he’s done with the rest, and asks her to keep a focus on enchanted items. Her competence was very useful and impressive in the field today, and he tells her so. She turns red as a beet and stammers that she’ll keep working hard. He leaves her, before she can sink straight through the floor.

Others are watching the Auror team with envy—they’d gone with the Director of Magical Security on his first major case. He wonders what they’ll say about him, once he’s out of earshot. These people were his friends, comrades in arms, just yesterday. And now…well. There are reports to be written, charges to be filed, artifacts to be impounded…so much to do that he never really thought about, when he was just Senior Auror Percival Graves. He doesn’t just get to bask in the glory of a successful mission. He’s their superior now, and that means distance. 

Graves thinks about that, as he heads into what is now his office, and shuts the door firmly behind him. He still plans to call his Aurors by their first names, if he can: he doesn’t want to be completely impersonal. They have to know each other enough to trust one another in the field. Not everything has to end. But things like drinks after work, informal events, spontaneous social calls—those are going to have to stop, at least with his subordinates. He has to follow the example of the Directors who came before him. To a one, they were professional, cool, and proud. And Graves can be that. He will be that. He will never be anything less than the best possible Director of Magical Security, until he is forced out of this office by someone with a will stronger than his. 

“And that,” he says aloud, sitting down at his desk and Summoning paper so he can begin writing his own report of the incident today, “is a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Used a really nice reference on Civil War artillery](http://www.civilwarartillery.com/) to determine that the cannons used are 24-pounder smoothbore cannons, firing solid shot, used to destroy fortifications, cannon emplacements, trenches, and buildings. Not the kind of cannon that you really want aiming at a large group of people.
> 
> If you wanna see a nice approximation of a six-years-younger Graves, observe images of “Total Recall” (released when Colin Farrell was about the same age that Graves is in this fic). There's a couple of really good panicked faces he makes that are highly suitable for this fic...


End file.
